Block molding



March 24, 1925. l

G. N. LEMMoN BLOCK MOLDING Filed Feb, 9, 1924 ATTORNEYS INVENTOR @Eb/Q65/v. Emma/f Pamesa` Mar. 24, 1925. y

AUNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE.

Gnonen N. Lmmou, or MARIETTA, (mortem.

BLOCK HOLDING.

Application led February 9, 1924. Serial No. 691,574.

To @ZZ wlzlom it may concern:

Be it known that a citizen of the United States of America,

I, Gronau N. LEMMoN,

plate by the side, top and bottom walls 18, 19 and 20 respectively.These walls are preferably ofchannel section, with their residing atMarietta, in the county of Cobb \{1anges 21 outwardly faced and providedand State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Block Molding, of which the following is a speciication.

My invention relates to blockmolding, and the object of my invention isto provide an. improved mold form and method of operation. My inventionis particularly yuseful in moldin of blocks from plastic material, inwhich 1t is desired to form inscripti-onsor ornamental panels, as forexample in grave markers. M object is to facilitate the formation of ekmold inscriptions and the molding operation.

In the accompanying drawings- Fi 1 is a front elevation of a vmold formto w ich my invention is applied in one form;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section therethrough;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through one corner of the mold; n

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation of the interior face of the front wallof the mold, showing a letter form detached;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical 'section through the panel area of thiswall of the mold; and

Fig. 7 is a detached perspective of an ornament for use in thepreparation of the panel illustrated in Fig. 6.

In the molding of blocks from plastics, various devices have beenheretofore proposed for forming inscriptions and ornamental designs inthe finished article. The methods heretofore used, however, haveresulted in blocks so disiigured on their inscribed faces that they arenot acceptable commercially without further finishing operations, whichadd'to the expense of-the structure. My invention not only affordseconomy of operation, but also results in a product whichrequires littleor no finishing when taken Vfrom the. mold, and possesses features ofimprovement both in appearance and in serviceability not heretoforeobtained.

Referring to the drawings, the mold form, preferably of metalthroughout, and of any desired shape, comprises, as shown, a front plate15 havin a continuous flat inner face apertured to a ord a panel opening16. A solid back plate 17, is spaced from the front with apertures whichregister with similar apertures in the front and back plates 15 and 17for the reception of clamping bolts 22 by which the mold parts aresecured together. Filler pieces 23 at the junction of the mold sectionsare provided to prevent the flow of the plastic between the joints andto impart to the molded block corners of rounded contour. In Fig. 3 Ihave indicated the filler piece 23 soldered at 24 to the wall 19 andbearing at its free marginV against the plate 15. The attachment of thefiller pleces may be to the front and back plates, however, ifpreferred. The bottom wall 20 is preferably apertured at 25 to afford anopening through which the plastic may be poured, either wholly orpartially, into the mold. Tamping tools may also be introduced throughthis aperture.

In order to form an inscription upon the face of the block, I provide afont of type forms or letters 26, independent of the plate 15, butuponwhich they are secured in appropriate order for the desired legend.These letters 26, which may be solid, are preferably ofbroader base thanapex, in order to facilitate their withdrawal from the block after thelatter has been cast. The base of each letter is preferably fiat so thatit may lie flush against the inner face of the plate 15 of the mold box.Preferably also the side faces of each letter are smooth, and may bepolished for this purpose-while the base surface is unfinished andaffords slight irregularities `(such as are incidental to casting) whichare of benefit in the attachment of the letter to the plate 15.

In order to secure the letter forms in position, I provide an adhesive26 which is unaffected bythe moisture of the plastic and is preferablyof such character that it is readily softened by the application ofslight heat. Paran affords an exceptionally good adhesive for thispurpose, since it is not affected by moisture, melts at low temperatureand presents, on hardening, a smooth surface of sufficient rigidity toconstitute an eX- cellent mold face. When using an adhesive of thischaracter, the letters, after being located in position, are secured bflowing melted paraffin around them. referably the temperature of theplate 15 and letters llO is sufiiciently raised to cause the paraffin topenetrate beneath the base of the letter and the surface of the plate,and cuter the irregularitiesl in the base surface of the letter, thusaffording a secure anchorage for the letter. Furthermore, capillaryaction causes the paraffin to creep up thc sides of the letter, and formon cooling a smooth continuation thereof which constitutes, as it were,a concave fillet at the joint between the letter and the plate. Thisimparts to the characters a smooth and gentle line of merger with theface of the block. Sharp edges are thus avoided. and danger of chippingor breaking at the edges of the letters is eliminated.

At the panel opening 16 means are provided for forming an ornamentalfigure' of any desirable sort. I have shown in Fig. 7 a lily spray 28.While this ornament may be applied to the face plate 15 in'a mannersimilar tothe characters 26, I have indicated the panel opening 16 inorder that t-he orna- `lment may appear in relief on the finishediblock, rather than in intaglio, as would be the case if the ornamentwere applied drectly to the plate in the same manner as the characters.Where the ornament is to appear in relief, as indicated, the form, suchas the lily spray 28, is secured to an auxiliary backing plate 29 bymeans of paraffin 30. r This plate is then laid against the inner faceof the front plate 15 of the mold box.

. A supplemental frame 31,` of slightly greater area than the panelopening, to afford a retaining fiange 32,' is secured on the outer faceof the plate 15 surrounding the panel opening` 16. The auxiliary frame31 is preferably provided at its inner margin with ofset flanges 33apertured for the reception of securing screws 34 which take intoshallow tapped holes in the plate 15. Flanges 35 at the outer margin ofthe frame serve to support and 'retain the material 36, which is pouredtherein after the backing plate 29 has been placed in position vat thepanel opening. The material 36 may be of any appropriate character,preferably plaster of Paris, which affords a smooth mold surface for thereception of the plastic of the block.

Upon the hardening of the plaster of Paris 36, and the removal of the'backing plate 29, the material 36 forms a Hush continuation of the moldface of plate 15 and containing the impress 37 of the panel ornament 28.After the characters 26 have been properly arranged and secured upon theinner face of the plate 15, the molding of the block may be proceededwith.

For this purpose the sides, top and bottom members 18, 19 and 20 of themold box are secured to the front plate 15. The back plate plate 17 mabe left off for the time being. The mold box being laid face down, theplastic-e. g., a neat or rich cement mixture-is poured in the mold andis permitted to partially set. This insures a smooth cement face for thcblock in which the contours of the, ornament and of the characters 26are perfectly reproduced. After this portion of the block has becomesufficiently firm, the body of the block may be formed from a leanercement mixture, the back plate 17 being secured in position and themixture being introduced through the hole 25 in the bottom of the moldbox, while the form is up-tilted. A tamping rod may then be insertedthrough the aperture 25 for manipulation in a manner well understood bythose familiar with the making of concrete block. After the concrete hashardened sufficiently, the form sections may be removed, the block beingreferably laid upon its back, and the face p ate 15 first removed.

Any irregularities in the resultant block will be found in the'lowerortion, adjacent the fill hole 25, which is o course sunk in the groundwhen the block is placed in position.

While I have above referred to concrete as the plastic employed, terracotta may be molded in the same form and subsequently baked. Again, itis obvious that the entire face 15 of the mold, box may be formed ofplaster of Paris 36 after the fashion of the panel section. In this casethe face of the block may be formed of porcelain slip flowed into themold box, While the back may be of other material. Or all the Walls ofthe box may be formed of plaster of Paris and the entire block formed bypouring in porcelain slip. Or again, a core member may be arranged inthe mold box, and a porcelain slip facing of the block be formed, andthe interior of the block filled with some less expensive body, such asconcrete.

Whatever form the body of the block takes, the initial step of formingthe legends and ornaments by means of shapes attached to a flat plate bymeans of a moisture resistant adhesive, normally hard but melting atrelatively low temperature,`is the same. Realizing that my invention maybe employed to produce blocks of various types, it is to be understoodthat the accompanying drawing and the foregoing description are merelyindicative of what I claim as my invention.

I claim-' 1. The method of forming a mold for -water plastic material,which comprises the step of applying to the face of the mold wall araised form, securing said form to the wall by a moisture-unaffectedadhesive in fluid condition, and permitting said adhesive to harden toform. portion of the mold by an adhesive material which forms a marginalfillet unaffected by moisture.

3. The method of forming a mold for Water plastic material, whichcomprises the step of applying to the face of the mold Wall a raisedform, securing said form to the Wall by a heated moisture-unaffectedadhesive in iuid condition, and permitting said adhesive to harden bycooling to form a marginal fillet for said form before introducing themoistened plastic into the mold.

4. The method of forming a mold for Water plastic material, whichcomprises applying to a Wall of the mold raised forms, securing saidforms to the mold Wall by an adhesive material which forms marginal;fillets unaffected by moisture, and securing at an aperture in the moldWall, a panel mold having a depression therein adapted to form portionof the mold Wall.

5. The method of forming a mold for Water plastic material, whichcomprises the step of applying to the face of a mold a raised form anddetachably securing said form in position by paraiiin, and having saidparaffin form a marginal fillet.

6. The method-of forming a mold face which comprises applying a fiatbased raised form to the face of a mold plate, and securing said formvin position by a normally solid moisture resistant adhesive in thepresence of heat sufiicient to cause said adhesive to enterirregularities in the base of sai-d form and constitute a secureanchorage therefor on cooling.

7. The method of forming a mold face Which comprises applying a heatedraised form to the surface of a-plate in the pres` ence of an adhesivewhich is solid at normal temperature but Huid at substantially thetemperature of the form.

8. The method of forming a mold face which comprises applying a heatedraised form to the surface of a heated plate in the presence of anadhesive which is solid at normal temperature but fluid at substantiallythe temperature of the form.

9. A mold boxA comprising a structure having a Wall surface, adetachable form applied to said surface, and a moisture-resistantadhesive securing said form in position in said surface.

10. A mold box comprising a structure having a Wall surface, adetachable form applied to said surface, and a marginal fillet of theadhesive material which secures said form in position on said surface.

11. A mold box comprising a metal mold surface, independent metal formsapplicable to said surface, said forms having fiat faces adapted to lieflush against said surface, and marginal fillets of moisture-resistantadlfiesive uniting said forms to the mold surace.

12. For use in a mold box having a fiat mold surface, a raised form'havin a fiat face adapted for juxtaposition agalnst the mold surface inany desired position thereon, and an adhesive such as paraffin fordetachably securing said form in position on said surface and forforming a concave marginal fillet, the surface of Which merges from thelateral surface of the form to the flat mold surface upon which itrests.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE N. LEMMON.

